TOWER GROVE — A few hours after pitching coach Dave Duncan agreed to a contract for the 2009 season, I asked him if the biggest question facing the Cardinals pitching staff this offseason was the ninth inning, and just who was going to handle it.

“I think so,” he said.

As long as there has been the modern model of the closer, manager Tony La Russa and Duncan have preferred to build their bullpen around that ninth-inning arm, the man with the stuff and guts to close out a game. Colleague Joe Strauss has often illustrated how the Cardinals, most often, have gone where Jason Isringhausen has taken them. The years he’s struggled or been absent — 2003 and 2008 — the Cardinals have not made the postseason. (Of course, 2006 being the exception.) There is little doubt that his inconsistency early this past season and injury later in the season was a tipping point for the Cardinals’ bullpen woes.

Think of the bullpen like a Jenga tower.

The closer is at the bottom. Pull him out and, at best, the tower is only wobbly.

Often it collapses.

Both Duncan and general manager John Mozeliak said they hope to reach spring training with an answer for their ninth-inning vacancy, though internally the Cardinals are also braced to have a “competition” or “interim” closer when spring training starts. With that in mind, so begins a series of blog entries — a flex of this new and well-received technology here at “Blog Zone” — EXIT POLLS. Vote below for you think should be closing come April 2009. Setup man Ryan Franklin is not listed because Duncan and others have said the preference is to have Franklin handle the eighth inning.

More EXIT POLLS to follow. If you have a suggestion one for please write me at dgoold@post-dispatch.com.

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And please do run some Google searches today on George Kissell. Find stories about him, read things he did. Check out the past blogs about him. He devised and promoted some of the defensive plays and fundamental drills that the Cardinals still use — and will always use. To borrow from La Russa: I’ve had the opportunity to meet many great people in baseball, and Kissell is tied for first with the best of them. There was nobody better to talk baseball with …

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